The present invention relates to an exposure aperture frame construction for an auto-loading camera which is adapted to receive a film container including a coiled filmstrip and to load a film automatically therein.
Recently, there have been proposed several kinds of auto-loading cameras which are provided with a film advancing means such as a sprocket drum or endless belt adjacent to a film supply chamber which, in turn, receives a film container including a coiled filmstrip having a leader extending therefrom, and a film take-up spool located in the film take-up chamber of the camera which operates to automatically wind the advanced film leader into the film take-up chamber. In such a camera, film loading can be completed only by closing a back cover after insertion of a film container into the film supply chamber. The filmstrip contained in a container generally has a leader previously drawn into some extent out of the container, the length of which, as is well known to those in the art, depends on the brand.
One of the problems associated with auto-loading cameras using such containers with different length of film leaders drawn out therefrom as abovementioned is failure in the film loading operation of the film leader to reach the automatic take-up spool in the film take-up chamber, resulting in unsuccessful winding of the film leader around the automatic take-up spool because the insufficient film leader previously drawn out of the film leader is liable to be caught inside an exposure aperture frame due to its curled leader.
To eliminate the aforementioned problem from such auto-loading cameras, there has been proposed a novel exposure aperture frame structure disclosed in Japanese Pat. Application Ser. No. 55-186576 by the same applicant of this application wherein the exposure aperture frame has a partition in the form of a pivotally mounted door which can be pivotally moved by and thus permits advancement of a film leader to a film take-up chamber of the camera.
The exposure aperture disclosed in the Japanese Pat. Application, however, does not solve the problem for tightly curled, specialized or otherwise complicated film leaders. That is to say, a door member as a partition of the exposure aperture frame which is merely pivotally mounted does not always ensure that the film leader is successfully directed to the film take-up chamber, because the leading end of the leader pushes the door open while it is still caught inside the upper portion of the door.